Exploring BC: Vancouver

After the previous block ended, I was ready for some adventure. I was ready to go exploring somewhere, some place I had never been before. I spent most of the month studying inside my bedroom or working tirelessly in the Admissions Team. But after a month of hard work, my body was craving adventure. Thus, I decided to go on a trip in British Columbia. Now I wanted to go someplace I had never been before, but my wallet did not agree with me! Hence, I went to Vancouver, a city I adore.

Even though I have visited Vancouver multiple times, this time, I wanted to stay there longer. And because I had a few days off of school, I thought why not! So, I contacted my mom’s cousin, Anita, whom happens to live there with her family, and she was more than happy to host me.

I took the bus to Anita’s house straight after the last day of class, and spent the evening with her family. It was such a strange but exciting feeling to spend a few days talking mostly in Albanian. I hardly ever get the chance to speak Albanian, other than talking on the phone with my parents. Anita, apart for being my mom’s first cousin, was also my mom’s roommate in University. I loved hearing about her stories in University, what she and my mom cooked all the time, or what they did for fun. We spent the evening talking, nibbling on some snacks, and having tea. It was such a beautiful way to end the day.

Photo retrieved from destination360.com

In the morning everyone in the house had left for school or work, so I thought I would go out and explore the city. My fantasy of a beautiful and sunny day, where kids were playing in the park and parents were reading books under the trees, was ruined a bit when I saw how heavy it was raining. But I was determined that this was my day out, and I was going to enjoy it.

I spent most of the late morning walking around, window-shopping, and perfume sampling. After exploring downtown for a bit, my legs were getting tired and I was feeling tired. I saw a small bakery, and decided that it would be a good place to take a break and enjoy a meal. When I went inside the store, I was blown away by the sweet aroma of baked pastry and bread. It reminded me of the summer, when I worked at Sunflower Bakery. I looked at their daily soup special board, and decided to order their apparently famous chilli. Everyone in the line in front of me ordered it, I figured it should taste good. Right outside the window I could see a flower shop, and all the people stopping by to buy a bouquet of flowers for themselves or their loved ones.

In the afternoon, I went to the Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG). Talia, a friend of mine from Quest, had previously given me a free ticket that she was not planning to use. VAG is located downtown Vancouver, and it is the largest art gallery in Western Canada. It has a collection of more than 10,000 artworks, including 200 major works from Emiro Carr, Jeff Wall and more. I decided to join an hour-long tour. Our tour guide was informative, articulate, and explained to us the most famous pieces of art. It was such a great experience.

After walking around the city for numerous hours, I went back to Anita’s house where we had a delicious homemade dinner. I went back to school later that night, since I had to work the next morning. My first destination of exploring BC was a success. Next stop will hopefully be Victoria.